Ice Cross Downhill Returns to Quebec City for the Epic Red Bull Crashed Ice 2012 Season Finale
- Canadian ace, Kyle Croxall, hopes he can clinch the 2012 World Championship with a win on March 17th -
QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 22, 2012 /CNW/ - Adrenaline, anticipation, and the framework to perhaps the most spectacular man-made course in sport - is filling the streets of historic Old Quebec, as Red Bull Crashed Ice returns to its roots for a seventh year on March 17, 2012. The race in Quebec is the stage for the World Championship finale, after three previous races in St. Paul (USA), Valkenburg (NED), and Aare (SWE).
All eyes will be on the current world championship leader Kyle Croxall from Mississauga, Ontario and his close rival - 2011 world champion Arttu Pihlainen from Finland. In Are, Croxall saw his lead in the overall standings cut to 240 points from Pihlainen going into the final race of the season in Quebec City, with up to five racers in with a shout of taking the title which Croxall has been the favourite to claim. World Championship points are up for grabs at each of the four stops of the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship: 1,000 points all the way down to 0.5 points can be collected for athletes who place first to 100th. Whoever finishes the season with the most points after the four races will be crowned the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Champion.
Adam Horst (Fort St. John, BC) scored possibly the biggest upset in the history of ice cross downhill, as the Canadian secured an incredible win during the third race of the season in Are, Sweden, while Kyle's brother, Scott, finished third. The track put the skids under the championship charge of Kyle Croxall as the overall leader and winner of the first two races hit the wall at the quarter-final stage. The Croxall brothers and Horst will definitely be hot on their heels, vying for a spot on the podium again in 2012 in front thousands of screaming spectators in Quebec City.
The Quest to Qualify
This year, more than 10,000 Canadians registered for the chance to compete at one of 13 qualifying events across the country. From there, a random lottery selected 200 men and 20 women per qualifying city to tackle individual speed trials on a challenging flat-surface obstacle course filled with jumps, dives, and turns. Fifty walk-up spots were also available at each event for determined athletes who weren't selected in the lottery. To narrow the crop of athletes down to 100 men and 20 women, top participants from each qualifier who demonstrated the best skating skill, agility, speed, and strength earned a spot at the main event in Quebec City.
A Crash Course on The Urban Ice Track
Quebec City is a classic stop on the Red Bull Crashed Ice circuit - recognized as featuring the longest, fastest, and toughest track of the entire World Championship series. This year's course starts with a bang, as the rounded start ramp launches riders to intense speeds as they enter the infamous first straight. Chock full of tricky jumps and obstacles, the straight gives competitors the chance to battle for position. Next is a roller coaster-like track with dizzying peaks and valleys pushing skaters up and down, and then turning them almost 360° bringing the racers underneath the bridge they just came from.
At that point, those who haven't completely lost their bearings are then sent into the long and fast straight, which incorporates new twists for 2012. The long banked turn at the end of this straight resembles traditional speed skating races where skaters must resist increased G-forces while leaning in at full speed.
Up next is the infamous "painted-wall" which is notorious for its intimidating steepness - courage, skill, and balance are all key to staying in the race at this point. Those who are still on their skates will face a test of endurance, as the final leg of the track pushes not only racers' stamina, but also their tenacity!
Running 550 meters long, averaging 4.5 meters wide, with a 60-metre vertical and 180° turns and 50° incline, the course heralds new obstacles to showcase the skaters' strength, speed, and technique. Starting at the Château Frontenac, this year's ice track will also require serious strategy, as racers will encounter more passing opportunities before they come to a finish by the Saint Lawrence River at Place de Paris.
MINI Rookie Award
Once again this year, MINI will honour Red Bull Crashed Ice newcomers. At each World Championship stop, the best rookie ranked among the world elite will receive an individual trophy plus the use of a MINI for testing. MINI, a keen promoter of young talent, is once again the official automotive partner of Red Bull Crashed Ice.
Red Bull Insider App
Now fans can keep a finger on the pulse of all the Red Bull Crashed Ice excitement with the Red Bull Insider App - the ultimate guide to Quebec City and all the Crashed Ice action - now available in the AppStore.
For those who have ever dreamed of skating down the Red Bull Crashed Ice track, they get their virtual chance with the Red Bull Crashed Ice Game. Control power, speed, stamina, and acceleration are all awaiting with the touch of a button at www.redbull.ca/crashedicegame.
Crashing the Airwaves
The 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship has been crashing airwaves throughout the season as Rogers Sportsnet and TVA Sports are broadcasting all four stops of the series. Witness all the action live from Quebec City on March 17th at 8:30p.m. ET on Rogers Sportsnet and TVA Network from the comfort of your own home as skaters brave the extreme ice tracks at speeds of more than 60km/hr.
Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship Ranking 2012
Current World Championship standings are 1. Kyle Croxall (CAN/2200 points), 2. Arttu Pihlainen (FIN/1960 points), 3. Scott Croxall (CAN/1700 points), 4. Adam Horst (CAN/1690 points), 5. Fabian Mels (GER/1274 points), 6. Paavo Klintrup (FIN/1210 points)
About the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship
A combination of hockey, boardercross, and downhill skiing, Red Bull Crashed Ice sets a thrilling stage for intrepid male and female amateur and pro hockey players from around the globe. No flat surfaces here - instead, daring racers hurtle down a 550-metre long ice track coiling through the city's stunning landscape while battling massive jumps, gaping drops, hairpin turns and each other to the icy, epic finish.
Each stop of the 2012 World Championship features an Elimination Round for national and international athletes. In Quebec City, the National Shoot-Out for Canadian athletes takes place on March 15th, and the International Shoot-Out for international athletes only, takes place on March 16th. The fastest 64 Canadian and 64 international athletes from each Shoot-Out will advance to Friday night's Elimination Round. These ice mavericks will then be seeded into brackets of four, as the two skaters from each bracket with the highest speeds advance to the Finals on Saturday, March 17th.
Red Bull Crashed Ice Newsroom
The Red Bull Crashed Ice Newsroom is a free-of-charge media service providing news stories, high-resolution photographs, clips for TV, web and radio as well as race results and background information about the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship. For more news and content including media accreditation, please visit the newsroom at www.redbullcrashedicenewsroom.com. Media accreditation closes one week prior to the Quebec City race. All media must register by then.
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For more information about Red Bull Crashed Ice, visit: www.redbull.ca/crashedice
For media outside of Quebec City, please contact:
Josée Laperrière
Red Bull Canada
647-680-2855
[email protected]
Camille Kowalewski | Melissa Legaspi
Edelman
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For media in Quebec City, please contact:
Marie-Claire D'Aoust
Gestev
418-802-6275
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